Polyaenus

Polyaenus or Polyenus (/ˌpɒliˈiːnəs/ POL-ee-EE-nəs; see ae (æ) vs. e; Ancient Greek: Πoλύαινoς, romanized: Polyainos, "much-praised") was a 2nd-century Roman Macedonian author and rhetorician,¹ known best for his Stratagems in War (Ancient Greek: Στρατηγήματα, romanized: Strategemata), which has been preserved. The Suda² calls him a rhetorician, and Polyaenus himself writes that he was accustomed to plead causes before the Roman emperor.³ Polyaenus dedicated Stratagems in War to the two emperors Marcus Aurelius (r. 161–180) and Lucius Verus (r. 161–169), while they were engaged in the Roman–Parthian War of 161–166, about 163, at which time he was too old to accompany them in their campaigns.⁴

Stratagems

This work is divided into eight books: the first six contain accounts of the stratagems of the most celebrated Greek generals and rulers, the seventh book contains stratagems of non Greeks and Romans, and the eighth book those of the Romans and of illustrious women. Parts, however, of the sixth and seventh books are lost, so that of the 900 stratagems which Polyaenus described, 833 have survived.⁵

The book has survived in a single copy made in the 13th century, although there exist five abridged versions. The full copy once belonged to . It contains a vast number of anecdotes respecting many of the most celebrated men in antiquity, and has uniquely preserved many historical facts.